This disclosure relates to brush seals that are used in, for example, turbine engines. The disclosure also relates to a method of manufacturing a brush seal assembly.
A typical brush seal assembly includes one or more subassemblies having bristles that seal against a rotating surface of a shaft, for example. Each subassembly includes bristles arranged circumferentially about an axis. The bristles are secured to one another by a perimeter weld bead that joins the outer ends of the bristles to one another to provide a bristle hoop. The weld bead is machined during a typical manufacturing process, for example, by using a laser.
A plate is arranged on either side of the bristle assembly to provide the subassembly. Another weld bead secures the first and second plates to the bristle assembly at the outer circumference of the subassembly. Typically, the subassembly is heat-treated to counteract the negative effects of the heat affected zone created by the perimeter weld bead. This subassembly is machined at the weld bead to provide the desired final dimensions at the outer circumference. The fixtures associated with the bristle hoop and subassembly machining are costly.
The current brush seal assembly and manufacturing process is costly due to the required machining of multiple perimeter welds beads. What is needed is a more cost effective brush seal assembly and manufacturing process.